Brush adapter for electric razor



Oct. 1, 1963 L. J. BENICK 3,105,254

BRUSH ADAPTER FOR ELECTRIC RAZOR- Filed April 17, 1962 2 'WW m LEONARDJ. BENICK INVENTOR ATTORNEY 3,105,254 BRUSH ADAPTER FOR ELECTRIC RAZORLeonard J. Beniclr, 313 Trappa Road, Baltimore 22, Md. Fil d Apr. 17,1962, Ser. No. 188,223 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-22) This invention relatesgenerally to brushes and more particularly it pertains to a brushactuating adapter for electric razors.

The electric razor is a well developed and widely available householdarticle. It is proposed to expand its utility by employing the drivemechanism and motor to power a compound motion generating mechanism foractuating a brush. By merely exchanging the razor head with a brushhead, it is thus possible for one to conclude shaving and immediatelyproceed to motor-brush ones teeth.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a clip-onpower take-ofi adapter which converts the reciprocating motion of arazor drive motor to a combined oscillatory and linearly reciprocatingmotion for further utilization thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tooth brush adapter forelectric razors which is exchangeable with the razor head in a simplemanner and drives an ordinary toothbrush in an effective scrubbingaction.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become more readilyapparent and understood from the accompanying specification and singlesheet of drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a novel brush adapter of this inventionshown attached to the drive motor of an electric razor and incorporatingfeatures of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical elevation, partly in section, of the brush adapterof FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the adapter taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the details of the invention, there is shown depictedin FIG. 1 a preferred form of the novel tooth brush adapter 10. Thisadapter is illustrated clipped onto an electric razor motor unit 12 inplace of the customary removable razor head and arranged to drive atoothbrush 14 of the handle type.

The razor head of a typical electric razor, for example a commerciallyavailable article manufactured and sold by the Remington Rand Companyunder the designation Rollamatic, employs a reciprocating head 16wherein there is generated a reciprocating motion that moves upwardlyextending drive fingers 34.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the brush adapter 10 is provided With abase plate 24 formed with apertures 25 so located as to freely pass thedrive fingers 34 to the interior of a journal box 22 when installed onthe reciprocating head 16.

A cylindrical shaft 2% extends from the journal box 22 in a directiontransverse to the direction of reciprocation of the drive fingers 34 andit is provided at its outward end with a chuck 32 which removably holdsthe handle of the toothbrush 14.

The shaft 28 is threaded into the journal box 22 by means of a thread29, preferably multiple and of large pitch. Thus, a small arc ofrevolution advances or retracts the shaft 28 longitudinally.

This small rotation, indicated by curved arrows, is accomplished by abifurcated lever strip 39 secured lengthwise to the shaft 28 and whichembraces the previously mentioned drive fingers 34 of the reciprocatinghead 16 as best shown in FIG. 3.

Consequently, as shown by the double headed curved and straight arrowsin FIG. 1, the toothbrush 14 is rocked from side to side and also givena simultaneous push-pull ire scrubbing action whenever the razor motorunit 12 is turned on.

Bar tabs 20 similar to those on the original razor head, engage with theusual spring clips 18 of the razor motor unit and provide quickinterchangeability of the adapter it) with the original razor head. Agasket 26 on the shafit 28 where it emerges from the journal box 22serves to dampen mechanical chatter and vibration of moving parts.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A clip-on power take-off adapter for converting reciprocating motion.of upwardly extending drive fingers in a razor head of an electricrazor into a combined oscillatory and linearly reciprocating motion of abrush comprising a journal box having a base plate positionable andclippable on top of said razor head and formed with apertures in saidbase for passing said upwardly extending drive fingers from said razorhead into said journal box, means including a shaft extending from saidjournal box in :a direction transverse to the direction of reciprocationof said upwardly extending drive fingers, said shaft having threads oflarge pitch and being threade'dly received at one end into said journalbox so that said shaft is advanced or retracted longitudinally whenrotated through a small arc of revolution, means secured lengthwise tosaid shaft at said one end thereof for embracing and engaging saidupwardly extending drive fingers of said razor head, wherebyreciprocating motion of said upwardly extending drive fingers isconverted into a combined oscillatory and linearly reciprocating motionof said shaft, and means to position said brush at the other end of saidshaft.

2. A clip-on power take-off adapter for converting reciprocating motionof upwardly extending drive fingers in a razor head of an electric razorinto a combined oscillatory and linearly reciprocating motion forfurther utilization thereof, comprising, a journal box having a baseplate positionable and clippable on top of said razor head and formedwith apertures therein for passing said upwardly extending drive fingersfrom said razor head into said journal box, means including a shaftextending from said journal box in a direction transverse to thedirection of reciprocation of said upwardly extending drive fingers,said shaft having threads of large pitch and being threadedly receivedat one end into said journal box so that said shaft is advanced orretracted longitudinally rwhen rotated through a small are ofrevolution, and means secured lengthwise to said shaft at said one endthereof for embracing and engaging said upwardly extending drive fingersof said razor head, whereby reciproc-ating motion of said upwardlyextending drive fingers is converted into a combined oscillatory andlinearly reciprocating motion of said shaft.

3. A clip-on power take-0E adapter for converting reciprocating motionof upwardly extending drive fingers in a razor head of an electric razorinto a combined oscillatory and linearly reciprocating motion forfurther utilization thereof, comprising a journal box having a baseplate positionable and clippable on top of said razor head and tormedwith apertures in said base for passing said upwardly extending drivefingers from said razor head into said journal box, means including ashaft extending from said journal box in a direction transverse to thedirection of reciprocation of said upwardly extending drive fingers,said shaft having threads of large pitch and being threadedly receivedatone end into said journal box so that said shaft is advanced orretracted longitudinally when rotated through a small are of revolution,2. bifurcated lever means secured lengthwise to said shaft at said oneend thereof for embracing and engaging said upwardly ex-tending drivefingers of said razor head; and brush means secured to the other end ofsaid shaft, whereby reoiprocating motion of said upwardly extendingdrive fingers is converted into a combined oscillatory and linearlyreciprocating motion of said shaft and brush means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS JepsonMar. 1, 1955 Ransom Dec. 11, 1956 Pressman Mar. 24, 1959 Miller Dec. 12,1961

1. A CLIP-ON POWER TAKE-OFF ADAPTER FOR CONVERTING RECIPROCATING MOTIONOF UPWARDLY EXTENDING DRIVE FINGERS IN A RAZOR HEAD OF AN ELECTRIC RAZORINTO A COMBINED OSCILLATORY AND LINEARLY RECIPROCATING MOTION OF A BRUSHCOMPRISING A JOURNAL BOX HAVING A BASE PLATE POSITIONABLE AND CLIPPABLEON TOP OF SAID RAZOR HEAD AND FORMED WITH APERTURES IN SAID BASE FORPASSING SAID UPWARDLY EXTENDING DRIVE FINGERS FROM SAID RAZOR HEAD INTOSAID JOURNAL BOX, MEANS INCLUDING A SHAFT EXTENDING FROM SAID JOURNALBOX IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF RECIPROCATION OF SAIDUPWARDLY EXTENDING DRIVE FINGERS, SAID SHAFT HAVING THREADS OF LARGEPITCH AND BEING THREADEDLY RECEIVED AT ONE END INTO SAID JOURNAL BOX SOTHAT SAID SHAFT IS ADVANCED OR RETRACTED LONGITUDINALLY WHEN ROTATEDTHROUGH A SMALL ARC OF REVOLUTION, MEANS SECURED LENGTHWISE TO SAIDSHAFT AT SAID ONE END THEREOF FOR EMBRACING AND ENGAGING SAID UPWARDLYEXTENDING DRIVE FINGERS OF SAID RAZOR HEAD, WHEREBY RECIPROCATING MOTIONOF SAID UPWARDLY EXTENDING DRIVE FINGERS IS CONVERTED INTO A COMBINEDOSCILLATORY AND LINEARLY RECIPROCATING MOTION OF SAID SHAFT, AND MEANSTO POSITION SAID BRUSH AT THE OTHER END OF SAID SHAFT.